AAMS COMMITTEES

If you would like to become a part of our non-profit, not only can you become one of our association member but you can also be a part of one of our committees. Sharing your ideas, interests, experience and skills can make a world of difference in the lives of many who suffer with OMDs.

Ongoing efforts by our members are crucial to the success of our volunteer organization. Below is a list of our committees. Read through and find the ones that best suits your interests and talents, and join today! A few hours of your time is guaranteed to improve lives, yours included!

Please scroll down the page all the way to register for committees.

Public Health Committee

The AAMS Public Health Committee was established to develop large scale solutions to prevent disease and injury that may be caused by orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs). This committee was formed to help establish orofacial myofunctional therapy as a dynamic and impactful field of medicine. This will eventually include and not be limited to:

• Developing screening tools for allied health professions to identify OMDs (SLPs, RDHs, DDSs, ENTs, PTs, OTs, Orthodontists, Pediatric Dentists, School Nurses, NICU Nurses, and others) as clinical markers of pathologies, disorders, and syndromes (i.e. obstructive sleep apnea)
• Developing and promoting screening tools too facilitate early detection and revision (such as the Martinelli Frenlum Inspection Protocol for Infants and the Marchesan Frenulum Inspection Protocol for Adolescents and Adults)
– The AAMS already has a working group in this area, the AAMS Frenlum Inspection & Revision Sub-Committee
• Assistance in validation of these protocols
• Development of public health initiatives to create awareness in the general public

Some food for thought
The American Public Health Association definition of public health: “Public health promotes and protects the health of people and the communities where they live, learn, work and play.”
The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health motto is: “Protecting Health, Saving Lives, Millions at a Time.” In the medical field, clinicians treat diseases and injuries one patient at a time. But in public health, we prevent disease and injury. Public health researchers, practitioners and educators work with communities and populations. We identify the causes of disease and disability, and we implement large scale solutions.

Fundraising, Donations, and Foundation Outreach Committee

The purpose of the fund raising committee is to closely examine the strategy and performance of the organization’s fundraising program and provide guidance to the AAMS on fundraising issues. This committee will also be tasked with the future financial sustainability of the organization and also to ensure that each of the projects that the AAMS undertakes is sustainable and viable.

Some of the area of responsibility will be to:
• Identify grant opportunities and write grant papers
• Ensure there’s a specific fundraising target
• Ensure prospect research occurs to identify how much money might be raised from different types of resources Identify specific, potential sources of funds from a diverse mix of sources.
• Ensure effective administrative systems to track grants and donations.

Marketing and Business Development Committee

The Marketing and Business Development Committee will assist the AAMS in strategic planning and prioritizing activities that stimulate growth through increased awareness, certification program expansion, attracting new members, and maintaining current certification both within the U.S. and internationally.The AAMS rely on marketing committees to develop strategies that encourage consumer involvement and investment in the organization’s mission.

Newsletter Committee

Identify, write and prepare a quarterly newsletter about the AAMS that is available to all its members and the general public. The newsletter will include reports of past and upcoming meetings and events, members spotlight, industry news and stories that educate and informed the world about the advancement of orofacial myofunctional sciences.

Bylaws Committee

A nonprofit bylaws committee is responsible for the creation and maintenance of the organization’s bylaws, which is the set of rules that guide its operations and activities. The bylaws include the number of directors the organization should have, the roles and responsibilities of the directors and the number and frequency of board meetings. The bylaws typically outline briefly or simply refer to other policies and procedures, such as hiring and conflict of interest policies. If the organization has paid employees, the bylaws may also list the paid positions that exist in the organization and the compensation practices for each position.

History of Myofunctional Therapy Committee

Recommends actions and activities to preserve the history of myofunctional therapy and recognize its accomplishments. Sponsors an annual medical student essay contest focused on Society-related contributions to myofunctional therapy. The main interest of this committee is the maintenance and collection of historical artifacts relative to the history of myofunctional therapy. Committee members are involved in researching local, regional, and international myofunctional therapy history.

Scientific Journal Committee

The Scientific Committee is formed by international experts in the field of Myofunctional Therapy and other medical fields related to it. The Committee discusses guidelines, general rules and topics of the journal making recommendations on new journal proposals. Taking part in the review process, they also serve as exponents in the recruitment process of prospective reviewers. Moreover they are responsible for encouraging and motivating potential authors to submit articles to the journal that will advance the field of Myofunctional Therapy.

Research Committee

The Research Committee serves as a liaison between persons engaged in research and the administration of the AAMS.

The duties and responsibilities of this committee shall be as follows:
• To advise the Board of Directors on the implementation of administrative programs and policies instituted for the support of research.
• To serve as a forum for the discussion of improvement and expansion of research activity.
• To communicate needs or problems related to research and the research environment.
• To make recommendations for the coordination of activities with other committees involved with research.
• To promote the dissemination of information regarding research at the AAMS.
• To promote collaborative research, enhance research and the research environment.

University Relations Committee

Further the AAMS strategic goals to advance myofunctional therapy education and to increase its membership by interfacing with universities and their involvement with the AAMS. This committee will endeavor to establish and maintain working relationships between University shared governance bodies. Promote good relationships among local, state, national and international university officials, in collaboration with the AAMS Executive Committee. Research and share findings on new discoveries and improvements with university professors.

Educational Competency Committee

Our vision is to be the definitive source of leadership, education ad advocacy for academic programs in myofunctional therapy. Our mission is to promote quality accessibility and innovation in myofunctional therapy continuing and higher education. we wish to advance the highest standards in pedagogy, clinical education and research. This committee will be tasked with the establishment of quality measurements for all areas of instructions for both faculty and students to learn of and teach about myofunctional therapy in order to meet the public need.

Clinical Competency Committee

As an emerging field in medicine, it is critical to establish objective measurements of clinical competency to protect clinicians, patients, and the field as a whole. This committee is task with a long term and multi-phased process of establishing an accreditation board, examinations and the formation of accreditation programs.

Society and Association Relations Committee

Identify and liaison between organizations, societies, associations in related fields across the globe to increase the awareness of the AAMS and orofacial myofunctional sciences and build an inter-disciplinary network of information gathering and sharing.